The Hōjūji Incident: Trust Lost in the Capital
歴史事件
After crushing a large Taira army at Kurikara Pass, Kiso Yoshinaka entered Kyoto in 1183. But his troops, left to their own devices in the city, repeatedly looted and terrorized residents, quickly costing Yoshinaka the trust of both the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa and the people of the capital. Learning that the retired emperor was plotting to have him removed, Yoshinaka struck first at year's end, attacking Hōjūji-dono and defeating the retired emperor's forces himself — the Hōjūji Incident. Though he had seized the capital by force, the episode left him more isolated than ever at court, and he soon found himself hunted by an army Minamoto no Yoritomo had sent from Kamakura under Yoshitsune and Noriyori. The famous "fire-ox stratagem" said to have won the day at Kurikara Pass is a vivid tale recorded in war chronicles such as the Genpei Jōsuiki, but it is worth noting that its accuracy as historical fact is not firmly established.
Characters
Kiso Yoshinaka
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Hōjūji Temple
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